VW Commercial - Possibly the worst dealer network?

[Vincent123]

Congrats! Did you manage to order any accessories AND did you get any discount?!

Yes we did order a couple of accessories (prices based on current listing for T5). We were happy with the deal - it was a no brainer compared to ex-demo T5 prices.

 

[Brent]

Yes we did order a couple of accessories (prices based on current listing for T5). We were happy with the deal - it was a no brainer compared to ex-demo T5 prices.

So did you agree the price based on current T5 Cali price, effectively giving a 4%ish reduction ?.

 

[Vincent123]

So did you agree the price based on current T5 Cali price, effectively giving a 4%ish reduction ?.[/QUOTE
The price was very favourable against a T5 coupled with a good part-ex deal.

 

[daveyboydanger]

We have just ordered a T6 and all this negativity is a bit unsettling. We ordered the Cali through Guy Vincent at Preston and he was on the case from initial enquiry right through to sorting the fine detail.
Fingers crossed the after sales service is of a similar standard. (BMW customer service is outstanding but boy do you pay for it!)

Glad Guy was on the case for you. Have heard good reports on him from others too. Seems nice enough.

 

[Vincent123]

Glad Guy was on the case for you. Have heard good reports on him from others too. Seems nice enough. However I've given him my email address and phone number 3 times now and he hasn't been able to contact me re t6 stuff. I want someone a little more interested in my purchase. Especially as I am buying - only question is, from who?

Bit surprised to hear Guy is not getting back to you. My initial enquiry was for a T5 which he had available, however he was more than happy to offer the T6 option. I just emailed him with the spec I was looking for and it progressed from there.

 

[daveyboydanger]

Everyone has bad days or blind spots. Not got a grudge. Will probably ask again once list goes up.

 

[2into1]

Any enterprising folk want to start up a couple of Cali specialised service centres? Those guys who strip Cali interiors (from written off campers) and fit them into panel vans will know more about Cali's than any VW Commercial workshop.

 

[Rob H]

Maybe it is just me or bad luck but the past two weeks I have tried contacting my dealer about outstanding niggles on my new 2015 Cali, when ever I call up the service department is busy and they take down my number and I am told someone will call me back, but nobody ever calls.

So far I am up to 6 calls without a reply

I contacted VWCS on Tuesday and was promised a call back by 5pm - guess what, no phone call back.

I called them again on Wednesday and was again promised a call back - no call

Amonngst this I have also emailed and am at my wits end.

Is this normal from VW Commercial? I have owned BMW's before and there customer care is second to none, maybe it is be because these are just vans?

In the motor trade workshop there has long been a prevalent attitude to servicing commercial vehicles, 'the builders van attitude', ... 'its just a van', ... 'its not my vehicle', ... with multiple company drivers no one will come back and complain about shoddy workmanship, dirty seats and steering wheels .. on he ramp ... off the ramp, as quickly as possible, missing fasteners, missing and broken plastic shields, leaks, spillages, cheapest fixes shortcuts and bodges can get away with, nobody will notice, and the owner companies are pathetically grateful to have their vehicle back and earning, ... onto the next job ... 'throughput' rules. A one way flow of money ... Unless dealerships start to loose business to poor customer service and low customer satisfaction nothing will change. The luxury California 'van' owner is pitched into this entrenched attitude and it comes as a shock. Need to vocalise, publicise, lever manufacturers and trade bodies to act practically, and vote with our feet ... there are some good dealerships with motivated staff out there and they need encouragement. Now putting my soap box away ...

Rob H.

 

[GrannyJen]

In the motor trade workshop there has long been a prevalent attitude to servicing commercial vehicles, 'the builders van attitude', ... 'its just a van', ... 'its not my vehicle', ... with multiple company drivers no one will come back and complain about shoddy workmanship, dirty seats and steering wheels .. on he ramp ... off the ramp, as quickly as possible, missing fasteners, missing and broken plastic shields, leaks, spillages, cheapest fixes shortcuts and bodges can get away with, nobody will notice, and the owner companies are pathetically grateful to have their vehicle back and earning, ... onto the next job ... 'throughput' rules. A one way flow of money ... Unless dealerships start to loose business to poor customer service and low customer satisfaction nothing will change. The luxury California 'van' owner is pitched into this entrenched attitude and it comes as a shock. Need to vocalise, publicise, lever manufacturers and trade bodies to act practically, and vote with our feet ... there are some good dealerships with motivated staff out there and they need encouragement. Now putting my soap box away ...

Rob H.

No, keep your soapbox open

I have found this link to be effective

https://www.facebook.com/VolkswagenCommercialVehiclesUK?fref=ts

I so not like FB ... having one foot firmly entrenched in the 19thC it is all above my head but posting to this link is the one place where I managed to break through the wall of silence and contermpt which is VW's answer to customer service.

 

[Paul Lavery]

I've just bought the other half a brand new Skoda Yeti & the dealership doubles as a commercial & Skoda dealership all under the same roof & owned by the same franchise, I've had lots of dealings with the commercial side & always been a hassle, constantly chasing warranty issues etc. etc. but have to say the Skoda side of the business is first class !!! Sorry to say but VW Commercials are very very poor

 

[estresao]

I'm VW cars user from lot of years and used to think VW in Spain was very useless, but once I moved to UK some years ago, and started living in Norwich, I've never seen such level of inefficiency.

And rendered very puzzled when, on last year, I've approached the dealer to get information of a Cali.... was amazing, never happened to me a dealer salesman don't event get stand up to provide me with, at least, a brochure. I took one from a stack which was already handwritten with someone else notes.

I can tell several scary stories, as the one about how log it took me to get my Passat fixed from a key scratch..... it took me 6 months to get them accept my car because looks like they didn't were confident of my insurance company (Admiral Group one)!!!

Obviously my Cali was not bought there and, if possible, I will take services somewhere else.

In Span they are the same thing... OK, not the Norwich extreme, but they are veeeeery snooty, doesn't matter whether you will spend near 60 grands in a bloody van.

 

[motacyclist]

And rendered very puzzled when, on last year, I've approached the dealer to get information of a Cali.... was amazing, never happened to me a dealer salesman don't event get stand up to provide me with, at least, a brochure. I took one from a stack which was already handwritten with someone else notes.

Similar experiences here.

Of course, it's difficult to get a balanced view of the dealerships in general because most people will come on to express their dissatisfaction, whereas those who have had positive experience are less likely to write about it.

Maybe we should have a poll? If there already is one, it probably needs updating .... any suggestions as to what the questions should be?

 

[estresao]

I'm very happy with VW products, both cars and Calis, although cannot understand why a Cali Beach, for example, has no a clock (around 50 grands in a "car" and you have to switch on the ignition key to tell what time is it), or something which I think are a little shabby but happy with products quality, but, as a customer, I don't feel helped by VW staff as I used to be on dealers/workshops of other brands.

 

[vw@tav]

estresao, I had exactly the same insulting experience in Norwich, so travelled to Peteborough and received a better response. Only found out after buying the vehicle that the "Norwich" group now own the Peterborough dealer

 

[timber]

Having owned VW's since 1960 I have found them pretty good , my wife has a golf and we have had two Cali's.
I have had a few problems, very few in fact, with the Cali's. They are a very complex machine and one cannot expect every dealership to know all there is about all their vehicles that they sell. However if they do try hard to respond to questions quickly , and don'it ignore you then that is more than half the battle.
Why I drive 55 miles to Listers at Coventry when I have nearer dealers . It speaks for itself.
It's a great Camper so can we have less negativity towards it

 

[WelshGas]

Someone at VW is listening. Maybe something will happen.

 

[AlanC]

You have to remember the Cali is an adapted van and looked after by the commercial vehicle end of the dealership. Commercial vehicles come in to the workshop in a pretty shabby state with lots of stuff still in the back most of the time. The techs are under pressure to turn them round quickly, particularly fleet vehicles, to keep the client happy. The odd dirty fingerprint is not going to be noticed when the seats are so dirty you think you may catch something off them through your trousers!

In addition the Calis equates to a small proportion of the workload in each workshop.

So the set up there is very different from the car side were very much more care is extended. If the Calis were looked after by the car teams, I suspect the results would be completely different, and we wouldn't have this thread.

Alan

 

[WelshGas]

So why can VW not sell and service these vehicles via the Car side of the Dealership. Most Dealerships run both a Car and Van section, but frequently on different sites. Some do combine both on one site or even in the same building. The California maybe based on a van but is hardly sold as a van, but as a lifestyle vehicle as is the Beach, and just who buys the Beach and SE. Van owners or car owners. I bet the majority of new VW Vans are not driven by owner drivers. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

 

[GrannyJen]

Precisely the problem.

Anyway, I've had my say, had my grumble, had my rant, got the action I wanted so I am now back to being sweet and chilled ...

 

[jts46]

When I first purchased my Cali in November 2006, the first 2 services were at a VW car dealership, but after that I was told it had to be repaired/serviced at the van centres dotted around the country.

John

 

[WelshGas]

Well, fortunately for me, the Dealership I use is a combined VW Car & Van Dealership.

 

[pjm-84]

Good first meeting with Breeze at Southampton, polite, keen to help and booked in for next Monday to have the seat repaired. Good first impression and I'm a fussy bugger.

They did ask me where I got the Cali from and I explained to them that I had left a message with the Poole branch but I had bought elsewhere while waiting for a return phone call that never materialised ( I sent them an email in the end to tell them not to bother)

 

[Duncan]

My first ever experience with VW and I can wholeheartedly say YES, they are the worst I have ever dealt with,

 

[tomartinh]

After owning a series of VW's (polo/golf/Passat/T4), I gave up on VW about 15 years ago due to their complete incompetence in both selling and maintaining vehicles.

We often have the urge to return to the Cali fold but talking to the dealerships always reminds me of why I never want another VW, not because of the vehicles themselves but the atrocious service from dealers. I won't bore you with the details but let's just say that when on occasion I did get a response from VW it was either so bad as to be comical or on a couple of occasions borderline negligent.

So we just hire a Cali when we need it and let someone else take the hassle of dealing with VW (thanks Campervantastic!).

Definitely looking forward to seeing the MB Marco Polo.

 

[KernowLad]

Well, fortunately for me, the Dealership I use is a combined VW Car & Van Dealership.

That's what we used; they wrecked the paint "washing" it at a service then failed to diagnose a fault for nine weeks.

It's my one major issue for ordering another one. Cr4p dealers.

Also when I enquired about a Golf R, I was treated like some weirdo. Not even an offer of a loom around a bog standard Golf.

So we bought another BMW; in hindsight I'm very glad we did.